The present invention relates to a holding device for fastening a laser instrument, in particular to a magnetic construction, a pipe, a wall rail or ceiling rail, and/or a wall, comprised of a basic frame, a receptacle device connected to the basic frame to accommodate the laser instrument, a first fastening device connected to the basic frame and a second fastening device connected to the basic frame.
Laser instruments that generate point-shaped and/or line-shaped laser beams are known for performing leveling or marking work in interior and exterior construction. These laser beams are used to transfer reference points and/or reference lines onto walls, ceilings and/or floors. A distinction is made in terms of these laser instruments between rotating lasers and point and/or line lasers. Rotating lasers generate a line-shaped laser beam by rotating a laser beam source or beam-deflecting optics around a rotational axis. Point and/or line lasers generate laser beams through beam-forming optics such as cylindrical lenses or prisms. Point and/or line lasers are frequently configured to be self-leveling in a limited angular range. To this end, the beam unit is suspended for example on a pendulum device. The beam device aligns with the plumb line itself within the self-leveling range in the earth's gravitational field independent of an alignment of the laser instrument so that the laser beams are precisely aligned in the horizontal or vertical direction.
Projecting a point-shaped or line-shaped laser beam at a specific height on a wall requires that the laser instrument be arranged at the appropriate height. Various holding devices are known from the prior art that can be used to fasten a laser instrument to a wall, a wall rail or ceiling rail, to a pipe and/or a magnetic construction.
German Patent Document No. DE 203 04 117 U1 discloses a laser instrument that is attached to a wall by means of a holding device. The holding device is arranged in an opening of the laser instrument so that it is removable. The holding device is comprised of a basic element, a magnet attached to the basic element and a ramp. The basic element can cooperate with a fastening device, for example a wall assembly, a pin assembly or a bolt assembly. The fastening devices are each comprised of a magnetic plate, which cooperates with the basic element via the magnet.
The Applicant offers various accessory parts for its laser instruments for fastening the laser instrument to different substrates, for example, to a wall, a wall rail or ceiling rail, a pipe and/or a magnetic construction. Included among these are a pipe adapter PMA 70, a wall bracket PMA 71, a magnet bracket PMA 74, a dry wall adapter PMA 75 and a ceiling clamp PMA 76. The wall bracket PMA 71 is comprised of a basic frame, a height-adjustable receptacle device connected to the basic frame to accommodate the laser instrument and a wall mounting device connected to the basic frame. To fasten the laser instrument to a pipe, the pipe adapter PMA 70 is connected to the wall bracket PMA 71. Once the wall bracket is connected to the pipe adapter PMA 70, it is only possible to fasten the laser instrument to a pipe via the pipe adapter, fastening it by the wall mounting device is not possible. The magnet bracket PMA 74 is comprised of a basic frame, a receptacle device connected to the basic frame and a magnetic holding element connected to the basic frame. The ceiling clamp PMA 76 is comprised of a basic frame, a height-adjustable receptacle device connected to the basic frame and a rail mounting device connected to the basic frame, which rail mounting device is comprised of a height-adjustable lower bearing element and an eccentric to clamp the rail between the lower bearing element and a fixed upper bearing element.
In addition, a holding device is also known that is comprised of a basic frame, a height-adjustable receptacle device connected to the basic frame to accommodate the laser instrument and a holding device connected to the basic frame, which holding device has a wall mounting device on the upper end of the basic frame, a magnetic adapter on the rear side of the basic frame and a tripod adapter or pedestal on the underside. The disadvantage is that the holding device does not permit fastening to a pipe and a wall rail or ceiling rail.
In addition, a holding device for fastening a laser instrument to a wall, a magnetic construction and a pipe is known. The holding device is comprised of a basic frame, a receptacle device arranged on the upper side of the basic frame and connected to the basic frame, and a holding device connected to the basic frame. The holding device has a magnetic adapter on the rear side and underside, and screw holes on a lateral surface as a wall mounting device. It also has a horizontal and a vertical belt guide, through which a commercially available belt can be pulled to fasten the holding device to a pipe. The holding device abuts the pipe with the horizontal belt guide on the underside and with the vertical belt guide on the rear side of the holding device. The disadvantage is that the holding device abuts the pipe with the magnetic adapter that is configured to be flat, which produces a small contact surface, above all in the case of cylindrical pipes. In addition, the holding device does not permit fastening to a wall rail or ceiling rail.
The objective of the present invention on the other hand is to increase the flexibility and reliability of the fastening and make a compact holding device available to the user which permits fastening to different substrates, in particular to a magnetic construction, a pipe and/or a wall rail or ceiling rail.
This objective is attained with the holding device according to the present invention in that at least the first or second fastening device is configured to be adjustable in a vertical direction relative to the basic frame. The adjustability of at least one fastening device, preferably the first and second fastening devices, makes it possible to adjust the fastening to the local conditions. In order to increase the stability of the fastening, the fastening device should be arranged as far up on the basic frame as possible. On the other hand, it may be necessary for space reasons to fasten the holding device in the lower region of the basic frame, or where only a limited substrate is available for the fastening.
In a preferred embodiment, the first and second fastening devices are arranged on a first basic element, wherein the first basic element is configured to be adjustable in the vertical direction by an adjusting device, which especially preferably has a rough adjustment device and a precision adjustment device. If the first and second fastening devices are arranged on a common basic element, both fastening devices can be adjusted in the vertical direction by an adjusting device. The holding device can be structured in a compact manner since one adjusting device is eliminated.
In another preferred embodiment, a third fastening device connected to the basic frame is provided. It is especially preferred that the first fastening device is configured for fastening to a magnetic construction with at least one magnetic holding element, the second fastening device is configured for fastening to a pipe with at least one pipe adapter and the third fastening device is configured as a rail mounting device for fastening to a wall rail or ceiling rail with at least one upper and lower contact element.
In an especially preferred embodiment, the first fastening device has at least a first and a second magnetic holding element and the second fastening device has at least a first and a second pipe adapter, wherein the second magnetic holding element and the second pipe adapter are arranged on a second basic element. The stability of the fastening is increased because of a second magnetic holding element and a second pipe adapter.
In another preferred embodiment, the first basic element comprises the lower contact element of the rail mounting device. It is especially preferred that the first basic element comprises the upper contact element and the second basic element comprises the lower contact element of the rail mounting device. In this case, the rail mounting device is especially preferably configured to be adaptable to different thicknesses of wall rails and/or ceiling rails by the adjusting device of the first basic element. This design of the first basic element makes it possible to adjust three fastening devices in the vertical direction. A single adjusting device can be used to adjust the position of the magnetic holding element, of the pipe adapter and of the upper and lower contact element relative to the basic frame in the vertical direction.
In a further preferred embodiment, a fourth fastening device connected to the basic frame is provided, wherein the fourth fastening device is configured in particular as a wall mounting device for fastening the holding device to a wall.
Additional advantages and advantageous embodiments of the subject of the invention can be found in the description and drawings. Similarly, the characteristics cited in the foregoing and those listed below according to the invention can respectively be used individually or multiply in any combination. The embodiments that are shown and described should not be understood as an exhaustive enumeration, rather they have an exemplary character in describing the invention.